Sales price indicator



SALES PRICE INDICATOR Maml Filed April 2, 1954- Snucntor L/MWa w mm;

Gnome Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to sales price indicators, and while designed particularly for use in retail gasoline stations and the like, may be used advantageously in connection with the sale of any commodity retailed from bulk supply containers in standardized units of quantity, weight or measurement carrying a tax burden per unit.

The primary object of the invention is to produce a simple, economical and eflicient device for simultaneously displaying the basic retail sales price of a single unit of a commodity; plus tax or taxes imposed thereon; and the computed cost of any desired multiple of said commodity units at basic price plus the tax per unit.

Another object is to produce an indicator having a double face for simultaneously displaying like information at opposite sides, and making provision for quick and easy adjustment for the display of different information when desirable or necessary,

More specifically, my object is to provide a device for use in a conspicuous place, as on or adjacent a gasoline dispensing pump, comprising 2. preferably circular casing of any suitable diameter but relatively thin, both sides having pairs of preferably alined or opposite windows, the window of each pair being preferably at diametrically opposite sides of and equal distances from the axis, both sides also having a third window at a different radial distance from the axial point from the cooperative pair of windows at the same side. The device also contemplates the use within the casing of a single rotatable disk, having like circular series of indicia on opposite sides, diametrically opposite indicia constituting related pairs, so that any of such pairs may be simultaneously exposed through the pair of diametrically opposite windows, the exposure of any pair at one side of the device being attended by the simultaneous exposure at the opposite side of the corresponding or like pair of indicia on the other side of the disk. The disk also has sets or columns of like indicia on both sides, arranged circularly, corresponding pairs of such sets or columns being disposed for simultaneous exposure by the third windows at the same time that pairs of indicia related to said columns, respectively, are exposed through the said pairs of diametrically opposite Windows. The invention contemplates other features of a contributory character and certain details of construction which hereinafter appear.

With theobjects mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and cooperative relationship of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is an elevational View depicting one face of a sign embodying the invention, the casing being broken away to expose a greater area of the disk than would otherwise appear, certain indicia on the disk element being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a view of the opposite side of the sign with certain indicia on the disk displayed only in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is an enlarged diametric horizontal section of the sign.

Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2, of a modified type of sign.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical section on the line VIVI of Figure 3 to show the lug whereby the disk is turned within the casing by the turning of the hub of the sign.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, I indicates one side of the casing shown as of circular form, said side being provided for the major portion of its periphery, with a marginal flange 2, and for the remainder of its periphery with an outstanding arm or hook 3 for clamping engagement by a bolt and nut assembly 4, with a post P or the like, for utilization as a support for the sign, it being understood however, that the particular means for supporting the sign is unimportant to the invention involved. A similar side 5, lacking the hook arm, and reversely disposed, is spaced slightly from the side I, with its marginal flange 6, telescoped within the flange 2, the two flanges closing the casing peripherally to the entrance of rain or snow and stiffening or holding the sides, near their peripheries, against collapse.

The sign has a hub portion, comprising a tubular nut 'l and a cooperating screw 8, the former being journaled in one side and the screw in the opposite side of the sign. Both preferably have heads and are so proportioned that they may be screwed together firmly without clamping tightly on the respective sides of the sign. The hub can therefore be easily turned by applying light force upon either head, as by a screw driver. The nut is provided'with a lug 9 to effect rotation of a disk I0 arranged within the casing, the disk fitting on the nut and having a notch l I receiving the lug 9, it being noted that small washers l2, l3, l4 and I5, fill the central part of the space between the disk and casing sides, washers l2 and I 4 being preferably rigidly secured to the inner surfaces of sides I and 5, and the other two washers l3 and I5, likewise being secured to opposite sides of the disk, and preferably having notches, like H, to receive lug 9 and give the same additional purchase on the thin disk to effect the rotation thereof.

The casing, at each side, is provided with a diametrically opposite pair of windows, l6 and H, at equal distances from the axis of the sign, and each side has a third window 18. The windows l8 are alined, whereas the windows l6 and ll of. oneside are alined with the windows ill and I 6 I'GSPQCtiVv. ly, of the opposite side. This is because only one disk, as presently appears, is employed and rotation thereof clockwise when viewing Figure l, is counter-clockwise rotation when the view is from the opposite side of the casing, as in Figure 2.

The disk Ill is shown equipped at one side with a circular series of ten figures A, diametrically opposite ones constituting pairs, one of each pair representing the basic retail price of a gallon of gasoline and the other figure of the pair representing such price plus the tax on one gallon of gasoline.

Five of the figures represent different basic prices per gallon and the other five, the total of said prices respectively, and the tax. The opposite side of the disk bears the same indicia, but as it is arranged in reverse order, it is identified by the character B, it being noted that the basic prices per gallon are shown by cent increases and that one-fifth of a revolution of the disk of Figures 1 and 2, brings a difierent per gallon basic price to view through windows l6 and ll of the opposite sides of the casing, and that the corresponding price per gallon plus the tax is brought to view through windows I? and I6, and that at the same time the related tables C of computed total prices from one to ten gallons appears through the windows l 8. This statement applies also to the modified type shown by Figures 4 and 5, where the circular series of basic per gallon price and the same plus tax, are shown within the circularly arranged series of table C of total computed prices of a plurality of gallons running from one to ten inclusive.

When the sign appears as represented by Figures 1 and 2, it indicates, through windows I6 and I! of opposite sides, that the basic price per gallon is sixteen cents, which amount plus a tax of six cents, equals twenty-two cents as appears through windows H and N5 of the two sides, and by reference to windows it, the total price column shows exactly the total retail cost of from one to ten gallons at sixteen cents per gallon plus a tax of six cents per gallon.

Figures 4 and 5 are likewise read, but in said figures, the five basic prices per gallon run from ten cents up to and including twelve cents, it being also noted that with the arrangement shown, the rotary adjustment of the disk to change from one price to the next higher price per basic gallon, is only one-tenth of a revolution as contrasted with the arrangement of Figures 1 and 2. It is obvious that the arrangements are the same in principle, but that if the diameter of the sign is small, the type shown by Figures 4 and 5 is preferable as providing space on the disk available for matter which can be displayed through additional windows of the casing.

Each face of the casing bears information regarding the tax per gallon for State and Federal revenue and at opposite sides of the windows I8, are columns of'numbers representative of from one to ten gallons, it being noted that the total charges for from one to ten gallons therefore appear in double columns on the disk. This arrangement of double columns of both numbers of gallons on the casing and the respective charges therefor on the disk, is for conservation of space, as it is obvious, if arranged in single columns and readily readable, the diameter of the sign would have to be undesirably increased. The faces of the sign may bear other information of interest such as a trade-mark and dispensing company name, and the sign of Figures 3 and 4, having more unoccupied space available on the disk, may conveniently have fourth windows 19 (hereinbefore suggested), through which diilerent cartoons on the available spaces of the disk, will suecessively appear, each cartoon being spaced diametrically opposite one of the totals COlIJInllS on the disk. As the cartoon (or other matter) for display through windows I9 have no inventive functional significance, they are neither shown nor claimed.

To require a proper application of force to effect rotation of the disk, the hub nut and screw have rounded heads provided with kerfs for engagement by a screw driver or other suitable blade, and to enable the nut equipped with a fixed lug 9, to be placed in or removed from operative position, the side I has a notch 26 offset from the axial opening of said side, the head of the nut overlapping the notch to exclude rain from the casing, and to prevent rotative slippage or" side 5, it has a notch 2i in its peripheral fiange, engaged by a lug 22 on the flange or the side I. The various window openings of the casing are spanned by mica or other transparent panes as shown, but

not identified by reference characters as of commonplace equipment. The side 5 of the casing can be readily removed to permit of the replacement of a particular disk by one appropriate for the display of prices not appearing on the removed disk.

From the above description and the drawing, it will be apparent that I have produced a sign embodying the features set forth as desirable in the statement of the objects of the invention, and while I have disclosed two preferred types of the invention, I reserve the right to all changes within the spirit of the invention and without the ambit of the prior art. 7

I claim:

A disk having a circular series of symbols disposed concentrically of the axis of the disk, and consisting of two sets, the symbols of each set being equal in number and increasing sequentially in value in reverse directions, the symbol of lowest value in one set being of greater value than the symbol of highest value of the other set, and the symbols of the lowest value in both sets being disposed at diametrically opposite points of the disk; the disk also having a series of radial columns of symbols of different value, disposed concentrically relative to the first-named circular series, the columns corresponding in number to half of the number of symbols in the first-named series, and each of the columns bearing a predetermined relation to a certain pair of diametrically-opposite symbols of the first-named series, in combination with a casing containing and rotatably supporting the disk, and provided with a pair of diametrically-opposite windows for the simultaneous exposure of the different pairs of diametrically-opposite symbols of the disk, and with a third window for the exposure of one of said radial columns of symbols at the time or" exposure of a pair of the symbols of the said circular series.

JOSEPH A. McCALLUM. 

